Several types of plank or slab figures were made during the Early and Middle Bronze Age. The representation of the human figure ranges from those with one neck and abstract linear designs, such as this example, to figures with bodies that are rectangular with anatomical features carved in low relief. There is a rare type with two and three necks, called multi-neck figures that closely relate to the form and design of this example. The meaning of these idols is speculative but may refer to ritual magic connected with the owner’s desire for multiple births and fertility. Like the multi-neck figures, the perforated holes on this figure may have been earring holes. (Morris 1985: 142-147) Or they may be related to representations of women carrying children.
A similar figure is in the collection of the Museum für Ur-und Frühgeschichte, Freiburg. (Prïëhistorische Staatssammlung 1985: 60 (cat. no. 23)
